Conveyer type washing machine



Sept. 26, 1950 Filed May 4, 1945 G. w. JOHNSON 2,523,304

CONVEYER TYPE WASHING MACHINE 3 Shets-Sheet l I M m m mvrm.

GEORGE W \kH/Vj a/v.

ATTORNEYS.

p 1950 s. w. JOHNSON 2,523,304

CONVEYER TYPE WASHING MACHINE Filed May 4, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 LI L2 L6 7 I 78 L [FL/"8a 3 Patented Sept. 26, 1950 unit rent

assign converse rvrn wasnmo insonmn Application may 4, W415, Serial No. 592,193?

(or. de -lit) ill illainriso E This invention relates to washing machines, such as are used for washing or cleaning various articles. While especially useful as a laundry washer employing a soap solution or other equivalent detergent, the machine also may be used for dry cleaning textile fabrics with a volatile detergent, such as gasoline, carbon tetrachlo= ride, or the like, or for washing or cleaning other articles, such as vegetables, with water, or metallic articles, with an acid alkaline or other bath.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved washing machine including both means for agitating the work in the cleaning bath and for removing or discharging the work from the machine at the conclusion oi the washing operation.

Another object is to provide an improved washing machine of unusually simple form, capable of manufacture and sale at low cost, and sturdy and durable in operation.

A further object is to provide an improved washing machine in which the same means employed for producing agitation of the work during the washing operation is also utilized to cause or control drainage of the cleaning bath as well as discharge of the work from the machine, all such operations being performed by power means to relieve the operator from otherwise arduous duty.

Still another object is to provide an improved washing machine including an endless belt capable of use in either or both of two ways, to-wit, either as a part of the vessel or container in which the work is immersed and agitated in the cleansing bath, or as the means by which the work is discharged from the machine at the conclusion of the washing operation.

Another object is to provide an improved washinig machine in which such an endless belt in one position forms a wall, or seals openings in a wall, of the rotatable container in which the work is immersed and agitated during the washing operation, and in another position serves as a conveyor for conducting and discharging the work from the machine when the washing operation is concluded.

Still another object is to provide a washing machine embodying such an endless belt with improved means for controlling belt operation by a power source, such meansbeing arranged, at the will of the operator, to cause the belt to travel alternately in opposite directions for agitating the work, or to travel in one direction or to stop for drainage purposes, or to be moved con.-

tinuously in either direction for special purposes, such as to discharge the work.

Further objects oi the invention in part are obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

i the drawings, Fig. i. represents a sectional elevation, on the line i-i, Fig. 3, showing one form of machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, showing the belt in work discharge position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3-i3, Fig. 2, the full lines showing the parts in washing position, and the dotted lines showing the parts in work discharging or unloading position;

Fig. i is a detail side elevation from the left in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a diagram of the electrical circuits.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view, corresponding to Fig. 3, and showing a modification;

Fig. 7 is a. detail section on the line l-l, Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is another diagram, corresponding to Fig. 3, and showing still another modification.

While the machine of this invention may be used for any of the purposes before mentioned, for purposes of illustration, and in no sense of limitation, I have chosen to show in the drawings a laundry washing machine, in several modifled forms.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, the machine embodies a suitable frame ill supporting a housing or casing ii, the walls of which enclose most of the operating parts. Within the housing I mount a vessel or container, the pocket or chamber of which is designed to receive and hold the work and the cleansing liquid bath in which it is agitated for the washing operation. This container, speaking generally, is of drum or cyl inder form, consisting of two opposed spaced, parallel circular end heads or discs and a cylindrical wall connecting them. Rotation of such a drum about its axis tumbles over and over and thus agitates any work within it and accomplishes acleansing operation when a, cleansing liquid bath is present.

The drum, in this instance, includes two disc form end heads l2 mounted separately, each on its own shaft l3, the shafts being suitably journalled in the frame structure. These discs may be made of metal, wood, or any other suitable material. The cylindrical drum wall is provided by the upper operating stretch of an endless wide belt I! made of flexible material impervious to water or such other cleansing liquid bath as may be employed. For example. it may be made of rubber, either natural or synthetic, or a rubber substitute, or canvas or other fabric coated with rubber, rubber-like, or other impervious materials, or any composition or material suitable for the purpose. The outer edge portions of the belt travel on' the peripheries of the end heads and the parts are so arranged as to seal the lines or surfaces of contact, to prevent water leakage. When the belt is made of rubber or the like direct contact between the belt and the plain peripheral surfaces of the discs may be sufllcient, but since driving friction is also desirable a V belt l5 may be interposed between them. These V belts may be vulcanized or otherwise fastened to and extend along the edge of the wide belt and engage V grooves in the disc edges, but as shown the V belt I5 is cemented into a V groove on the rim of each disc, its flat exposed face engaging the wide belt surface.

The belt is supported upon any suitable number of rollers, four being shown. The shafts of three of these rollers, marked 16, Ida, I6b are stationary, but journalled in the frame, except that the shaft of one of them, as 16a, may be adjustable in any suitable manner for belt tightening purposes. The shaft of the fourth roller H, which supports an end of one of the end loops of the two stretch wide belt, is mounted for movement toward and away from the drum axis to enable said loop of the belt to be adjusted at will, either to its washing position, shown in full lines, or to its discharging or unloading position, shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3. This is accomplished by loosely mounting the shaft ends in radial slots I8 in the upper ends of links 19 pivoted at 20 in the frame, and providing the shaft with small rollers 2| which travel on tracks 22 mounted in the frame and curved generally on the arc of a circle around the pivots 20 as a center. Tracks 22 may be slightly eccentric, being nearer to said pivots at the unloading than at the washing position, to tighten the belt when in washing position and to loosen it in the discharge position, although this is not essential.

As shown in Fig. 3 the four rollers are mounted one in each of the four quadrants of a circle around the drum axis, two above and two below said axis. The upper two rollers support two end loops of the belt and cause its side portions to hug the end heads through the greater part of their peripheries, say 225 or more, when the belt is in washing position, thus forming the bottom of a depending loop-form chambered container capable of holding a liquid bath and the work, but

open at the top, whether the belt is stationary or moving. The lower or idle stretch of the belt travels around the two lower rollers l6-l6b by which it is held spaced from the upper or operating stretch.

The upper ends of links is may be joined by a cross bar 23 which serves as a handle for adjusting the belt loop to either of its positions. Stops limit outward movement of the adjustable rollers i'l to discharge position, and the frame may carry recessed pivoted latch members 255 in the recesses of which the shafts are releasably held and ride or turn when in washing position.

The surface of belt is may be plain, relying for agitation entirely on rolling the work over and over as the belt moves back and forth, but agitation is assisted by lifting baiiles 26 made of wood, metal or other material, attached to the belt and distributed at intervals along its work carrying surface. For drainage purposes a short zone of the belt may be provided with a suitable number of drain openings 21, later tobe referred to.

The operating mechanism includes suitable power driving means, such as an electric motor 28, the pulley 29 of which is connected by belt 30 to drive a speed reducing jack shaft 3! connected by belt 32 to a pulley 33 on one of the belt carrying roller shafts, preferably the shaft of a stationary roller l6. This motor is reversible, its operation being controlled by switches and other control devices now to be described.

Motor 28 is shown in Fig. 5 as an A. C. motor supplied with current by conductors 40, 4|, 42 from the current leads L1, L2, In. Assuming that a load of work has been placed in the work container, with the adjustable belt loop in washing position, as in Fig. 3, that detergent liquid has been supplied to said container in proper quantity by a hose, pipe connection or the like (not shown) and that main switch MS has been closed, the operator momentarily depresses normally open starting switch S1. Thus supplying current from L3 by wire 43, switch S1, normally closed stop switch S2 and wire 44, to the coil 45 of a main contactor switch S3 and closing its contacts 46, 41, 48 in the motor lead conductors, which supply current to said motor by way of the forward and reverse contactor switches indicated generallyat S4, S5. The main contactor switch is held closed by a maintaining circuit 49 which includes a fourth set of contacts 5|) of said switch. Assuming that the forward switch S4 is closed, as shown in Fig. 5. the motor causes the belt to move in the direction indicated by the arrow 5|, until one of two cam projections 52, 53 fastened to one edge of the exposed belt surface, engages and operates a lever 54 pivotally mounted at 55 on one side of the main frame near the end of one of the belt loops, and operatively connected through compression spring 56 to the blade of a switch S6 biased toward open position by a leaf sprin 51. Closing of switch S6 completes a circuit from the point 60, in conductor 40, by wire Bl, manual selector switch Si, wire 62, switch S6, wire 63, magnet coil 64 and wire 65 to the point 66 in conductor 42. The armature of magnet 64 is connected to a lever 51 which operates a link 68 having a lost motion connection to an arm 69 on a shiftable controller member 10 pivotally mounted at II and carrying two conducting bridges 12, I3, insulated from each other. When said coil energized, it snaps the controller member to the position shown in Fig. 5. Said controller member is stable only in either one of two positions to which it is biased by suitable snap acting, over center means shown conventionally at it. In the position shown, bridge 72 completes a circuit from the point 15 on conductor do, by way of wire it, coil ll of reverse switch S5, wire it, blade i9, bridge '72, blade 8b, and wire ti, to conductor 42, energizing said coil and closing the motor reverse switch S5.

Corresponding circuits on the other side of the controller 655 and including the coil 82 of the forward switch S4 bridge '93 and its blades 83, 84, of course have been opened by the same operation.

gaged by the cams E2. 53, opening instantly upon belt reversal.

Thus, the washing operation proceeds, with the belt traveling first in one direction and then in the other, with reversals at regular intervals, and tumbling the work over and over in opposite directions, and with the usual lifting and dropping effect when bafiles 26 are employed, with a very efficient Washing elfect. Escape of liquid is prevented by the sealed joints where the belt contacts with the edges of the end heads or provided by the V-belt where used.

The washing operation described does not advance into cooperative relation with the end heads that relatively short zone of the belt provided with drain perforations, indicated by the dotted line 85, Fig. 5, and which zone always stops short of going around the end of the belt loop when belt reversal occurs. To utilize these perforations for drainage purposes, one or the other be more or less rigidly and permanently connected together by one or more work-confining walls of suitable form, either perforate or imperforate, as desired. Such a wall, for example, may be cylindrical and connect the peripheries of the end heads, forming a drum-therewith, or the walls may be plain, fiat sheets extending radially to divide the work-holding pocket into individual compartments. Either or both kinds of said walls may be included in the same machine.

Figs. 6 and '7 diagrammatically illustrate the first arrangement of work-confining walls referred to. Here the end heads l2 are joined by a cylindrical metal or wood wall 90 provided with of the like selective switches S1, S9 is open or held open, thereby preventing energization of the magnet coil 6% or its like coll M in the other set, and causing the motor to run continuously in one direction or the other, without reversal. In such case each time the perforated zone 85 of the belt moves around the lower quadrants of the end heads, liquid drains out through said openings into a pan or receptacle 88, Fig. 3, from which it may be conducted to the sewer by a pipe 8?.

If described, one or the other of the switches S7, S9 may be opened and then the stop switch S2 may be opened with the perforated drain zone at the bottom, thus stopping all moving parts and permitting drainage to go on continuously until it is completed.

By following the procedure before described a given mass of work may be submitted in turn to the eifects of any number of successive baths, for cleansing, bleaching, bluing, rinsing or other purposes, with agitation of the work in each bath, and drainage of said bath, followed by a like operation with the next bath. When all operations of this kind are concluded, the work is removed from the machine by procedure as follows:

With all parts at rest, the operator releases the latch and grasps the handle bar 23 and moves the roller i7, and the loop of the belt which travels around said roller to the work discharge position shown in dotted lines Fig. 3. The appropriate selector switch S7 or S9 is then opened, so that when the motor is energized it will cause belt travel in the proper direction to elevate the work over the now inclined loop of the belt carried by the roller l1. Then the start switch is closed and the motor is energized to produce such action. Immediately, travel of the belt ejects all of the work over the roller I1, delivering it to any suitable receptacle provided for the purpose and located in front of the machine.

Having discharged the work, roller I1 is adjusted back to the washing position, shown in full lines, Fig. 3, another lot of work is introduced into the machine, the necessary bath is supplied, and the washing and other operations are repeated, as before, with automatic reversal of the direction of travel of the belt and efficient agitation of the work in the treating bath.

While, in the form so far described, the two end heads are independent of each other in the sense that each is mounted upon its own shaft and is rotatable independently of the other, this arrangement is not essential. The end heads may perforations or openings ti of the usual form employed in a laundry washing machine. As shown in Fig. 7, these openings are sealed by contact with the edges of said opening of the endless belt it, as it travels around the lower quadrants of the cylinder. A portion of the cylindrical wall is omitted, leaving a gap 92, providing the necessary opening through which the work may be introduced into the cylinder. der itself may be provided with internal baifie ribs or projections 93.

With this arrangement, the shaft members 03, which support the end heads and drum, may be mounted in vertical slots in the frame, shown diagrammatically at 9 3, the projecting ends of said shaft providing means to which lifting de vices may be attached, such as slotted arms of levers 9G pivoted upon the frame and by operation of which the cylinder may be lifted, either manually or by power as desired.

With this arrangement, the washing and other working operations are carried on as before described. When discharge from the machine is necessary the adjustable roller and belt loop are moved to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 6, with the machine stopped so that the cylinder is in position with its opening 92 at the bottom. By elevating the cylinder the work therein falls out upon the belt, and by operating the driving motor in the appropriate direction, the belt may be used, as before, as a conveyor to elevate the work and discharge it from the machine.

Fig. 8 illustrates another arrangement in which the end heads, in addition to their connection by a cylindrical wall interrupted only by filling openings, as in Fig. 6, are also connected by two, three or more radial partition walls 97, perforate or imperforate, lying in planes extending longitudinally of the axis of rotation, and including said axis, thus forming a series of compartments, each one closed at the axis of rotation, but open at the periphery of the drum. Three such partition walls are shown, providing three compartments. Each partition is provided with longitudinally extending ribs or bailles 98.

In this arrangement. the outer edges of the partition walls contact with the surface of the belt when traveling around the lower quadrants, thus shutting off each compartment from its neighbors and preventing the work passing from one compartment to another.

This machine may be operated in the same manner as that shown in Fig. 6, the work-carrying end heads and their shafts, and the parti tion walls connecting them, being elevated to dump the work upon the belt for use thereof in unloading each compartment, separately from all others.

The washing machine described is of relatively simple construction and can be made and sold The cylinat low cost and is quite durableand satisfactory in operation. It involves but few parts, provides all necessary work agitation, and the same belt which is used to hold or support the work and the liquid bath, serves also as a conveyor for discharge of the work from the machine.

Other advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

l. A work cleaning machine of the character described, comprising coaxial, circular end heads spaced apart along a horizontal axis, an endless belt having an upper operating stretch and a lower idle stretch, means for supporting said belt with the opposite marginal edge portions of one face of its operating stretch engaging the lower portions of the end heads in leak proof relationship and with an end loop normally extending generally vertically and upwardly for the washing operation, means for adjusting said belt loop to a position in which it is inclined upwardly and away from said axis to thereby serve as a work discharge conveyor, and a cylindrical wall connecting said end heads and forming a work holding drum therewith, said drum being provided with a charging opening in its cylindrical wall and means for moving said belt upwardly bodily to elevate it above the operating stretch of the belt to enable the work to be discharged through said charging opening upon said belt.

2. A work cleaning machine of the character described, comprising coaxial, imperforate, circular end heads spaced apart along a horizontal axis, an endless belt, means for supporting said belt with the opposite marginal edge portions of one of its faces engaging the end heads along the lower quadrants of travel thereof and thereby forming a work holding pocket and with an end loop extending upwardly, means for adjusting said belt to shift its said end loop selectively 'either to cleaning or unloading position, means for producing belt travel either intermittently and alternately in opposite directions for the cleaning operation or continuously in one direction for the unloading operation, said belt having a portion of its length imperforate and cooperating with said end heads to hold washing liquid within said pocket, said imperforate portion traveling around said end heads while belt travel occurs alternately in opposite directions, and said belt also having a perforate portion adjustable to a position in which it forms the bottom of said pocket and hence permits drainage of liquid therefrom. g

3. A cleaning machine of the character described, comprising coaxial, circular end heads spaced apart along a horizontal axis, an endless belt materially longer than the periphery of an end head and having operating and idle stretches both traveling below said axis, means for supporting said belt with the opposite marginal edge portions of one face of its operating stretch engaging the and heads along the lower quadrants of travel thereof and thereby forming a work holding pocket, means for producing endwise belt travel for the cleaning operation, said end heads and a portion of the belt being imperiorate so that when engaged they will hold and prevent escape of cleaning liquid, said belt also having a perforate portion through wh ch liquid may be drained when such perforate por tion engages the lower quadrants of the end heads.

4. A cleaning machine of the character described, compzising coaxial, rotatable circular end heads spaced apart along a horizontal axis, an endless belt materially longer than the periphery of an end head and having inner and outer stretches both traveling below said axis,

. means for supporting said belt with the opposite marginal edge portions of one face of its inner stretch engaging the end heads along the lower quadrants of travel thereof in leak proof relationship and thereby forming a work holding pocket, means for producing longitudinal belt travel for the cleaning operation, and a work confining wall rigidly connecting the end heads.

5. A cleaning machine of the character described, comprising coaxial, circular end heads spaced apart along a horizontal axis, an endless belt materially longer than the periphery of an end head and having inner and outer stretches both traveling below said axis, means for supporting said belt with the opposite marginal edge portions of one face of its inner stretch engaging the end heads along the lower quadrants of travel thereof in leak proof relationship and thereby forming a work holdingpocket, means for producing longitudinal belttravel for the cleaning operation, and a radially extending work confining wall including said axis and rigidly connecting the end heads.

6. A cleaning machine of the character described, comprising coaxial, circular end heads spaced apart along a horizontal axis, an endless belt materially longer than the periphery of an end head and having inner and outer stretches both traveling below said axis, means for supporting said belt with the opposite marginal edge portions of one face of its inner stretch engaging the end heads along the lower quadrants of travel thereof in leak proof relationship and thereby forming a work holding pocket, means for producing longitudinal belt travel for the cleaning operation, and a cylindrical work confining wall rigidly connecting the end heads.

7. A cleaning machine of the character described, comprising coaxial, circular end heads spaced apart along a horizontal axis, an endless belt materially longer than the periphery of an and head and having inner and outer stretches both traveling below said axis, means for supporting said belt with the opposite marginal edge portions of one face of its inner stretch engaging the and heads along the lower quadrants of travel thereof in leak proof relationship and thereby forming a work holding pocket, means for producing longitudinal belt travel for the cleaning operation, and work confining walls rigidly connecting the end heads and including both a cylindrical wall and radially extending walls forming separate work holding compartments.

8. A work treating machine of the character described comprising an endless belt, parallel rollers supporting said belt two of said rollers lying side by side but spaced apart and supporting between them 2. depending inner loop portion of the belt, said loop portion opening up wardly, and outside of them a depending outer belt portion which encloses and travels around said loop, and a pair of oppositely disposed and spaced coaxial end heads located to peripherally engage and rotate with the marginal portions of one face of said inner belt loop to provide a chamber for holding and treating the work, such peripheral engagement preventing liquid escape between said belt and said end heads, means for producing longitudinal belt travel to agitate work being treated in liquid in said chamber, the transverse extent of the portion of the belt contactable against said end headsduring such treatment being imperforate whereby to maintain the quantity of liquid substantially free from leakage during treatment. 7

9. A machine of the character defined in claim 8 in which means is provided for adjustably moving .oneof said rollers downwardly and laterally away from the other said roller to a position in which the portion of said loop depending therefrom forms a conveying apron extending diagonally outwardly from said chamber by means of which work in said chamber may be discharged by belt motion.

10. ,A work treating machine of the character described comprising an endless belt, parallel rollers supporting said belt, two of said rollers lying side by side but spaced apart and supporting between them 9. depending inner loop portion of the belt opening upwardly, and outside of them a depending outer belt portion which encloses and travels around said loop, and a pair of oppositely disposed and spaced coaxial. end heads located to peripherally engage and rotate with the marginal portions of one face of said inner belt loop to provide a chamber for holding and treating the work, such peripheral engagement being of leak proof character whereby. to prevent liquid escape between said belt and said end heads, means for producing belt travel alternately in opposite directions for the treating operation, or continuously in one direction, said belt having a portion of its length imperforate to hold treating liquid in said chamber, and said belt also having a perforate portion, means for adjusting said perforate portion to a position in which it forms the bottom of said chamber, and permits drainage of liquid therefrom.

11. A machine of the character'deflned in claim -10, in which means is provided for adiustably REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 86,236 Lemman Jan. 26, 1869 409,501 Rammoser Aug. 20, 1889 545,429 Lewis Aug. 27, 1895 912,038 Selfert -1--- Feb. 9, 1909 914,797 Collis Mar. 9, 1909 1,128,722 Renisch Feb. 16, 1915 1,129,128 Shainline .l Feb. 23, 1915 1,345,003 Gray June 29, 1920 1,456,271 Henson May 22, 1923 1,461,354 Inaki July 10, 1923 1,818,032 Bell Aug. 11, 1931 1,850,523 West Mar. 22, 1932 1,869,900 Landenberger Aug. 2, 1932 1,882,442 Peik Oct. 11, 1932 1,882,443 Peik Oct. 11, 1932 2,121,786 Carroll June 28, 1938 2,197,277 Old Apr. 16, 1940 2,225,407 Bassett Dec. 17, 1940 2,366,136 Waldstein Dec. 26', 1944 

